Exploring Effective Teacher Feedback as a Threshold Concept in ELT

Effective teacher feedback facilitates student uptake by engaging students in that feedback and leading them to act. We propose that effective teacher feedback is a threshold concept as novice teachers’ understanding of it is able to transform their conception of teaching and help them progress in their English language teaching practice. In this study, four middle school English teachers participated in stimulated recall interviews, the transcripts of which were analysed using Grounded Theory analytic process. Findings reveal three stages in Chinese English teachers’ understanding of effective teacher feedback, and three features that characterize effective teacher feedback as a threshold concept.